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Good Morning, New York! The Second Avenue Subway (Q) is finally getting an extension, including a connection to the Metro-North! Meanwhile, Suffolk County is fighting against fire chasers and new polling shows a strong lead for Mamdani. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Tuesday, August 19th, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In Albany, making an infrastructure announcement.

WHERE’s ERIC: No public schedule available.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

Harlem's train dreams are one step closer to reality. The MTA board just approved a nearly $2 billion contract to extend the Second Avenue Subway up to 125th Street, with new connections to Metro-North. While commuters are excited about the potential commute boost, that first ride is still a half decade away, projected for 2032, a timeline which is likely to be extended considering past MTA construction estimates. (amNY)

Gov. Hochul is furious after a 7-year-old NYC student and her mom were detained by ICE, calling for their immediate return. According to Hochul, the Ecuadorian family was separated from their 19-year-old son during a routine check-in, and the mother and daughter were sent to a Texas detention center. Hochul accused the Trump administration of breaking its promise to only target dangerous criminals. (NY Daily News)

The widow of slain NYPD Officer Didarul Islam has given birth to a baby boy named Arham, meaning "Most Merciful." The couple's other two sons, ages 5 and 7, are already embracing their new brother who Mayor Addams said he hopes will carry forward their father's legacy of service and courage. Islam was killed last month in a mass shooting in Midtown. (NY Post)

Capitol Gains

Suffolk County is cracking down on "fire chasers"—companies accused of pressuring vulnerable homeowners into costly board-up contracts right after a fire. Lawmakers are pushing a bill to create buffer zones around fire scenes, mandate disclosures, and raise penalties for these alleged "vultures." The move comes amid rising complaints of aggressive and misleading tactics, with some incidents even turning violent as crews compete for contracts amid active fires. (NY Post)

New York DAs are gunning to tweak the 'Raise the Age' law! With youth gun violence up, they want to amend the legislation that raised the age of criminal responsibility to 18, closing loopholes that let young offenders off the hook too easily by making it hard to see past family court records. But some lawmakers are pushing back, arguing that the focus should be on better funding for existing programs, not undoing protections for young people. (State of Politics)

Heads up: stay out of the water this week! Hurricane Erin is whipping up dangerous rip currents along New York beaches, so officials are urging swimmers to stick to areas with lifeguards. While no beaches are officially closed yet, expect rough surf and potentially life-threatening conditions, especially in Brooklyn, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. (NY Daily News)

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Trail Mix

Did hell just freeze over? Rep. Ritchie Torres, once Gov. Hochul's fiercest critic, did a complete 180, publicly praising her at a recent rally in the Bronx. This dramatic change of heart, possibly influenced by socialist Zohran Mamdani's primary win, might bolster Hochul's standing in the Bronx ahead of the 2026 election. (Gothamist)

The ADL's Jonathan Greenblatt is under fire for falsely claiming NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani hasn't engaged with the Jewish community. Greenblatt asserted Mamdani hadn't visited synagogues or Jewish institutions, a claim contradicted by reports of Mamdani's outreach efforts that included attending Shabbat services and forums at Jewish congregations. Despite the ADL's attempt to clarify, the controversy highlights ongoing tensions surrounding Mamdani's views on Israel and his relationship with Jewish voters. (Forward)

New polling is out for the mayoral election, from Gotham Polling and sponsored by AARP. Zohran 42%, Cuomo 23%, Sliwa 17%, Adams 9%. Sample: 1,376 registered voters, conducted August 11th. (Gotham Polling)